1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a system that provides remote output of Web page content, and in particular to wireless devices that initiate printing of Web page content at remotely interfaced facsimile machines.
2. Description of the Related Art
Presently, users of mobile devices, such as wireless phones, pagers, and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), are able to view Web pages on these devices. Because of size and technological limitations of these mobile devices, viewing quality is severely limited. For example, some types of mobile devices, such as those that utilize a short message service (SMS) for communication, typically permit the viewing of only several lines of text at a time. Moreover, SMS enabled devices typically do not permit the viewing of graphical images, and merely provide low resolution text images.
Other mobile devices, such as those configured to operate with a wireless application protocol (WAP), may provide a broader range of viewing capabilities and permit the viewing of Web page content that contains text and graphical images. WAP enabled devices also may provide a user with an ability to interact with a Web page, along with providing Web page navigational capabilities. However, in many instances, even the WAP enabled devices do not meet a user""s needs to view the entire contents of a Web page.
Mobile device users have attempted to overcome the limited viewing capabilities of their devices by obtaining a printout of a desired Web page. Obtaining a printout of Web page content typically requires the attachment of a printer directly to the mobile device, but this solution has several drawbacks. First, the mobile device must support some type of printer attachment. Although some PDAs, for example, support printer attachment, a vast number of these devices (e.g., wireless phones, pagers, etc.) do not have these capabilities.
Another drawback of current systems relates to a user""s dependency on the availability of a printer that can be connected to the mobile device. For example, even if a particular mobile device is capable of printer attachment, the user may not have access to a compatible printer. Users typically utilize mobile devices because of their portability and often do not want the burden of transporting a printer. Accordingly, mobile users must either forego printing Web page content with their devices, or they must transport a printer that may be attached to the mobile device when a printout is desired.
It is to be recognized that the need for providing mobile devices with an ability to print Web page content extends to other devices. Specifically, it is desirable to provide any device that has limited Web page viewing or printing capabilities, with an ability to print Web page content.
One example relates to devices that utilize a television monitor as an interface (e.g., iTV(trademark), WebTV(trademark)), which often have limited, if any, printing capabilities. Other devices that typically do not have printing capabilities include telephone systems that are configured with a Text-To-Speech (TTS) system, which permit users to receive text-based messages, and then convert these messages into voice output by using a variety of speech synthesis techniques. Often, the text-based messages will relate to a particular Web page. Although TTS devices may provide voice output relating to Web page content, these systems cannot provide a user with printouts of Web page content. It is therefore also desirable for those who receive text-based content via TTS devices to be able to obtain printouts of Web page content identified and/or described in the text-based messages. The ability to obtain these Web page printouts via remotely located facsimile machines, without the use of a printer, is also needed.
In view of the foregoing, and in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a mobile device user can initiate a facsimile printout of a desired Web page at a desired facsimile machine, even though the device and the facsimile machine are not directly connected.
In accordance with this and other aspects of the present invention, a Web page facsimile printing system includes a plurality of different types of mobile devices that may be connected to a facsimile machine server via an interface gateway. The facsimile machine server and at least one facsimile machine are also in communication, providing a communication path between each of the different mobile devices and at least one facsimile machine. In this aspect of the present invention, Web page data may be generated by utilizing a Web page location. Once the Web page data is generated, it may be communicated to a remote facsimile machine for subsequent output.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the different types of mobile devices may include a wireless telephone, a pager, or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). In addition to these, other devices may include a telephone with TTS capability, a browser-enabled device or an interactive television.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the mobile devices may utilize a wireless communication system for message communication.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a message may be generated at a mobile device, wherein the message includes a Web page location and/or a facsimile machine location.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a message may be communicated from a mobile device to a facsimile machine server, without utilizing an email server.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, message formatting and communication may utilize a Short Message Service (SMS) protocol, or a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP).
In another aspect of the present invention, the identification of the facsimile machine and Web page locations may be performed at the user""s device or at an interfacing system.
In still yet another aspect of the present invention, a mobile device is provided with an ability to remotely generate printouts of Web page content, without having to attach a printer to the mobile device. In this aspect, the mobile device has an ability to utilize remotely located facsimile machines to provide Web page printouts, thereby eliminating the need for a printer.
These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.